Law clerk harassment is one of the legal profession's best-kept secrets, and Aliza Shatzman lived it. A federal judge harassed her, fired her, and then torpedoed her dream job as a homicide prosecutor with a single negative reference she was never allowed to see. Then she found out she couldn't sue him, because 30,000 people who work for the federal courts have no protection under Title VII.
I have my own (much less dramatic) version of this story, from a networking event my 1L year, so this conversation went straight to the thing so many of us carry quietly: you feel a power imbalance, you feel confused and alone, and you have no idea who to tell and what to do. Aliza's answer is bracing and hopeful. You have more power and agency than you think, and using your powerful voice is what makes it better for everyone who comes after you.
In this episode:
- What actually rises to the level of harassment, and why "it's just a bad fit" is a lie you don't have to accept
- Why filing a formal complaint is the single best way to protect yourself from retaliation
- The power dynamic that makes law students, clerks, and junior associates most vulnerable, and how to navigate it
- How Aliza turned the worst moment of her career into the Legal Accountability Project
- The internal reporting channels that exist, and which ones are actually HR for the judiciary
In this episode:
00:00 The 1L networking story that started this
05:53 What drew Aliza to law school
07:11 The clerkship that changed everything
10:26 The negative reference that cost her the dream job
12:19 Why 30,000 court employees have no Title VII protection
16:07 You are not powerless: your voice is your power
18:11 Glassdoor for Judges and the daily work of accountability
22:47 What actually counts as harassment
30:38 Your real options: EDR, DWR, and formal complaints
32:57 Retaliation, and why a written record protects you
39:41 Building a life and a career on her own terms
About Aliza: Aliza Shatzman is an attorney, advocate, and the President and Founder of the Legal Accountability Project, a nonprofit working to ensure law clerks have positive clerkship experiences and extending accountability to a judiciary that has long operated without it.
Links: Legal Accountability Project: https://www.legalaccountabilityproject.org/
Aliza on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliza-shatzman-58b55223/
LAP on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelegalaccountabilityproject/
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Host Info: Ariella Cohen Coleman
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